Page 118 - South Mississippi Living - May, 2019

TOP ATTORNEY nothing but the truth LARGER-THAN-LIFE
LAWYERS
story by Lisa Toye Kaufman
lly McBeal, Law and Order, Suits and other television shows have always made law look like a glamorous and theatrical industry to play a role. How much of Olivia Benson, Jack McCoy and Lennie Briscoe’s make-believe careers represent the
reality of life as an attorney? It is no doubt that the prevalence of the made-up lawyer dressed in costly attire and enjoying martini lunches contributes to someone unfamiliar with the practice of law thinking that this is the way
professional litigators live their lives.
The most misleading components of shows like these are the nonstop action and extravagance. There is more to law than penthouses, corner offices and multimillion dollar lawsuits. “When you’re in court all the time, you don’t have time to wear your best suit. You save that for church,” says David Krause of Krause Lawdog, LLC who is a litigator and serves, although not as a rule, as a criminal defense attorney.
The dull duties of research, preparation and file management are crucial, daily activities in
the legal profession. Parallels
are found in the unpredictable and intricate legal issues that require precise advice and speedy action. Attorneys never know what challenges a client will have, and each case has its own complexities and demands.
Krause says it is exceedingly unglamorous, and the case he is currently involved in includes
a rapper who is the epitome of
a criminal defendant who has been belligerent and disrespectful in, usually the most civil court, federal court, putting his feet up on the magistrate’s desk, while he was trying to settle the case, in front of both attorneys.
Krause says, “It’s not glamorous at all. It’s incredibly stressful work on both sides. The quality of your day is not that high when you practice criminal defense or prosecution. The civil side is
less seedy than the criminal defense side.”
Even less romantic, most cases never even enter a courtroom. Usually, a plea agreement is made in the interest of time and money, or there are not enough facts.
George Chaix, retired police officer and detective turned instructor of criminal justice at William Carey University, has closely worked with both sides
of the justice system and states, “Being a prosecutor or district attorney is one of the best jobs
in the world. Basically, they’re the gatekeepers of justice. As far as glamorous, I think it’s a great job. No job is glamorous. They’re just regular people like everyone else.”
118 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • May 2019
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